Around the NFL: Browns developing one-two punch in receivers

Saturday

Nov 2, 2013 at 6:17 PM

Josh Gordon and Cameron Jordan are on their way to being the Browns’ best one-two receiving punch of the expansion era. They stand a good chance of more rewarding times than “the reigning champs” had to offer.

BY Steve DoerschukCantonRep.com staff writer

The last Browns team to beat Baltimore hit the Ravens with a doozy of a one-two pass-catching punch.

The Browns paid through the nose for it, and the old one-two punched out all too soon.

With Rob Chudzinski coordinating the offense, the 2007 Browns went 10-6 with a big lift from wideout Braylon Edwards and tight end Kellen Winslow II.

The 2013 Browns are packing that kind of air-game wallop with Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron.

In the ‘07 season, Edwards caught 80 passes for a franchise-record 1,289 yards. Heading into Sunday’s game against Baltimore, Gordon has played in only six games due to a suspension; yet, he has delivered 32 catches for 582 yards. At this rate, he would wind up with 1,358 yards in 14 games.

Winslow gave coordinator Chudzinski 82 catches for 1,106 yards (a franchise record for a tight end) in ‘07. Cameron is on a pace that would provide head coach Chudzinski with 98 catches for 1,192 yards.

Edwards and Winslow helped the Browns beat Baltimore twice in ‘07, but it was the only year either of them contributed to a Browns season with a record better than 5-11.

In retrospect, both were damaging wastes of high draft picks.

The cost for Edwards was a No. 3 overall pick in 2005, when Aaron Rodgers, among others, was available. Winslow’s price tag was a No. 6 overall pick in 2004, in addition to a Round 2 pick in ‘05 — the steep cost for Butch Davis trading up one spot to express a little Hurricane love.

Had Davis stayed put at No. 7, he could have had Ben Roethlisberger.

Cameron (Round 4, 2011) and Gordon (Round 2, 2012 supplemental draft) were comparatively dirt cheap, and they could last much longer.

The 2007 team had something the current team lacks, a good running back in his prime. In his last strong year, ex-Raven Jamal Lewis gave Chudzinski 1,304 yards at 4.4 per carry.

“Chud” again has an ex-Raven at his disposal, but Willis McGahee is merely stealing time before the lights go out. He has run for 231 yards in six games at 2.9 per carry.

The ‘07 team forged a 5-3 first half, whereas the ‘13 team must beat Baltimore just to get to 4-5.

The current team’s hope for a big second half — it will take 6-2 just to get to 9-7 — is a difference in quarterback play.

Derek Anderson posted four passer ratings above 109.0 during the 5-3 start, but in his last eight games he was below 85 seven times, with a season low of 53.4 in a fateful loss at Cincinnati.

Jason Campbell made a promising first start last Sunday, putting up a 105.4 rating at Kansas City.

If Campbell gets better instead of worse, as Anderson did, this season might have a chance.

• Despite Anderson’s diminishing skills in the 2007 second half, the team reprised its 5-3 first half to stay in the playoff hunt until the final Sunday.

The Browns’ pivotal win came at Baltimore. John Harbaugh wasn’t paying attention.

Harbaugh was working for Joe Banner, not against him, in 2007. He was in the last of his 10 years as an assistant coach in Philadelphia, whose president was Banner.

Harbaugh became Baltimore’s head coach in 2008, at which point he launched an 11-game winning streak against Cleveland that is on the line Sunday — along with Banner’s credibility as Browns CEO.

Harbaugh’s last job with the Eagles was defensive backs coach. He says his Baltimore “DBs” will have to be on their toes.

That one-two punch has been on his mind all week.

“Gordon appears to be a gamebreaker,” he said. “They scheme him up to get him the ball as much as they can. And Jordan Cameron. Wow. He’s emerged as one of the best tight ends in football.”

• Harbaugh replaced Brian Billick, who hasn’t landed another coaching job despite an 85-67 record with the Ravens after walking out on a chance to coach the Browns in 1999.

Billick now is a FOX analyst whose duties include weekly “power ratings.”

He has a low opinion of the Browns, pegging them at No. 28 despite a respectable showing against his No. 1 team, Kansas City. He has Baltimore at No. 19.

BLAND YEAR FOR RICE

When Trent Richardson was drafted in 2012, he was supposed to give the Browns what Ray Rice has provided for Baltimore.

In 2013, it turns out that Richardson is giving the Colts what Rice is giving the Ravens, and no one is happy about it.

In five games with his new team, Richardson has run 75 times for 228 yards (3.04 average). In six games with the Ravens, at times hobbled by a hip injury, Rice has run 86 times for 242 yards (2.81).

Rice’s best gain as a mostly ineffective receiver has been 14 yards. Richardson has caught a 13-yard pass for Indy and otherwise been invisible as a receiver.

Meanwhile, in six games with the Browns, Willis McGahee has run 79 times for 231 yards (2.92).

• Baltimore’s all-time sacks leaders, dating from the time the team arrived from Cleveland, are Suggs with 92.5, Peter Boulware with 70, Michael McCrary with 51 and Ray Lewis with 41.5.

Suggs has 14 sacks in 20 games against Cleveland.

THE BETTER HALF?

Based on National Football Post power rankings at the midway point of the season, how does the Browns’ second-half schedule stack up to the first half?

Cleveland’s victories are against the two teams tied for No. 29 (Bills, Vikings) and the No. 6 Bengals.

The five losses have been to the No. 5 Packers, No. 8 Chiefs, No. 10 Lions, No. 11 Ravens and No. 15 Dolphins.

Rematches with the Bengals and Ravens are coming soon. Other opponents still on the docket are the No. 7 Patriots, No. 15 Bears, No. 20 Jets, No. 22 Steelers and No. 32 Jaguars.

EXTRA POINTS

• Phil vs. Bill update:

Phil Dawson, the Browns’ place-kicker the previous 14 years, is 9-of-12 on field goal tries with the 49ers. Billy Cundiff, Dawson’s replacement, is 12-of-14.

• The Browns and Texans are the only teams that have allowed neither a 100-yard rusher nor a 300-yard passer this season. That hasn’t helped them avoid a combined record of 5-10.

• Before Baltimore began its current 11-game winning streak against the Browns, Cleveland fought to a 7-7 stalemate in the series from 2001-07.

• Five of the Browns’ 11 players in their pool of running backs, wide receivers and tight ends were not with the team in training camp. The group includes tight ends Marqueis Gray and Keavon Milton, wideouts Armanti Edwards and Brian Tyms, and running back Fozzy Whittaker.